All American Gymnast Olivia Karas On Overcoming “Rushy-itis” to Become Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

Olivia Karas is a former 6x All-American gymnast from the University of Michigan where she helped the Wolverines win four consecutive Big Ten team titles. She won a share of the Big Ten All Around title in 2019 and finished her career ranked 8th in the country in the all-around.

Early in her gymnastics career, she was inspired by Olympic champion Kerri Strug who stuck her vault on one leg showing the world the mindset to make an imperfect moment perfect. Oliva’s own journey has also included several imperfect moments leading to perfect teaching moments such as her struggle with anxiety or “rushy-itis” which taught her a process to slow down, utilizing her breath to connect her mind and body or a torn Achilles which reminded her to focus on what she could control while highlighting how much she loved her sport.

Currently, she is an on-camera analyst for Big Ten Network where she combines her athletic and professional experience to tell the stories of other athletes in a way that captures the effort, attitude, and gratitude behind a perfect routine giving them something they will be proud to share with future generations.

As an athlete or analyst, what is she most proud of?  The ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

@livkarass